The Mabel prospect is centred 200 metres northwest of the confluence of Siwash and Tepee creeks, 36 kilometres northeast of Princeton.

The occurrence is hosted in coarse-grained granite of the Middle Jurassic Osprey batholith. The mineralized granite is occasionally brecciated and strongly chloritized, and contains pink feldspar phenocrysts.

A north-trending zone of disseminated magnetite, 30 to 45 metres wide, in chloritized and kaolinized granite, is mineralized with specular hematite and lesser pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, sphalerite and galena. Much of this mineralization is concentrated along shears and veinlets. The shears generally strike east and dip steeply. Hematite, pyrite and chalcopyrite are also found in the occasional quartz vein. A channel sample of strongly chloritized granite assayed 0.095 per cent copper, 78.67 grams per tonne silver, 0.379 per cent lead and 0.303 per cent zinc over 126 metres (Assessment Report 7992, page 10). Relatively high silver values are associated with large patches of hematite (Assessment Report 7547, page 3). Hematite-rich samples have assayed as high as 1714 to 2057 grams per tonne silver (George Cross News Letter No. 40 (Feb. 27), 1967). One 3-metre wide shear zone contains near massive hematite that is reported to carry gold (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 243, page 107).

In 1996, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of up to 10.4 grams per tonne gold, 79.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.844 per cent copper, 0.342 per cent lead and greater than 1.00 per cent zinc over 0.23 metre in hole 96-4 and 0.2 gram per tonne gold, greater than 100 grams per tonne silver, 0.461 per cent lead and 0.270 per cent zinc over 2.05 metres in hole 96-5 (Besserer, D.J. (2007-05-27): Technical report on the precious and base metal potential of the Siwash Creek Property).

In 2006, Ravencrest Resources Inc. completed a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock, stream sediment and soil) sampling on the area as the Siwash Creek property. Grab samples (06RTP212 and 06RTP214) of altered granite from the Camp adit and nearby area yielded values of up to 2.43 gram per tonne gold, 2651 grams per tonne silver, 4.68 per cent copper, 3.09 per cent zinc and 5.67 per cent lead (Besserer, D.J. (2007-05-27): Technical report on the precious and base metal potential of the Siwash Creek Property).

In 2011, a grab sample (11KRP102) assayed 32.1 grams per tonne silver, 0.18 per cent lead and 0.41 per cent zinc (Moroney, D.M. (2012-06-04): Technical Report on the Siwash Creek and River Wild Properties).

Work History

Local prospectors first investigated this occurrence with the excavation of shallow shafts, short adits, and a number of opencuts in 1927. The prospect was intensively explored by Spa Mines Ltd. and Quality Exploration Corporation Ltd. between 1966 and 1969. The two companies conducted geological, soil geochemical and geophysical surveys, trenching, stripping and 740 metres of diamond drilling in 5 holes. Additional surface exploration was carried out by Brenda Mines Ltd. and Ark Energy Ltd. between 1979 and 1983.

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Snowstorm (MINFILE 092HNE032) occurrence and completed exploration history can be found there.